- #ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE HOW TO USE YOUR#
- #ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER WITH#
- #ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE FULL DAY WITH#
If you don’t know his work then do check it out. Done well, the environmental portrait should give us further insight into the life or character of the subject.Historically speaking, the grand master of environmental portraiture was Arnold Newman. Instead, the subject is photographed in a particular environment, perhaps the place where they work, their home, or anywhere that relates to who they are. It isn’t made in a studio with a simple background. Now let’s turn our attention to some how-to tips for stunning environmental portraits:Amazon.com: Environmental Portraiture: A Complete Guide to the Portrait Photographers Most Powerful Imaging Tool: 9781138935662: Cornfield, Jim: Libros.But what exactly is an environmental portrait? Well it’s probably easier to say what it isn’t. Over the years Ive developed a real love for.Environmental portraits sit somewhere between the purposely posed shots of a studio portrait (environmental portraits are posed and are unmistakably portraits) and candid shots, which capture people almost incidentally as they go about their daily lives.
Of course it’s never as easy as it appears. The focus would normally be on the person, with the environment taking on a supporting role, but that’s not always the case. Top right – Roberto Nicoletti, Architect.Bottom – Geremia Vinattieri, sound designer, who I decided to kind of hide within the chaos of the studio.For me the key to environmental portraiture is finding the right balance between the ‘environment’ part and the ‘portrait’ part. Here I’ve used different elements to create a structure and ‘message’ for the portrait.Top left – Franco Mussida, musician. But perhaps his greatest skill was incorporating found elements to give a psychological edge to the portrait.
Environmental Portraiture How To Use Your
Professional models are used to posing all day without getting tired or bored. If time is not a problem then I can relax a little but not much. My client, a magazine for example, might need two or three options to work with so I’ll explain that from the start. If things go well then they will usually let the session go on for more than they agreed to. Think Quickly.The first thing I usually do is to check with the subject how much time we have available. So you need to think quickly, make friends quickly and know how to use your equipment quickly! Let’s take each one in turn 1.
Often I‘ll already know how the image will appear in print and whether, for example, I need to leave space for the centre fold of a magazine, some text or a title on a front cover. I like to leave some clean space around them, especially the head, that will allow them to be better defined within their surroundings.Once I’ve got an idea for the first scene then I’ll set up the camera and lighting and shoot a few frames to finalise exposure and composition. It’s useful to find a structural element like a doorway or a clean piece of wall that can provide a frame for the person within the scene. Like I said earlier, I need to strike the right balance between how much importance I give to the person and how much to the environment. I’ll be looking for those elements that talk about their work, their life or their personality and I’ll be pre-visualising the scene and how the subject might be placed within it. If I’ve done my research then I should already know something about the person I’m about to photograph.
Environmental Portraiture Full Day With
Here I’ve used a window light for her, a Lastolite reflector to the left to fill in the shadows, and a flash to throw some light on the wall behind. As an ex-model and actress she knew how to present herself to the camera and that helped me a lot. I spent a full day with Princess Niké Arrighi Borghese, shooting portraits of her in a range of settings at her home in Italy. Once I’m ready then I’ll ask the subject to come and take position – and that’s where the next part comes into play.
Everyone that I photograph is different some will be quiet and confident, some with be talkative and fun, some will be shy and stiff in front of the camera, and others will be so used to being photographed that they have their ‘standard smile’ ready to switch on at any time.As a photographer you’ll need to be sensitive to the type of person they are and respond accordingly. Make Friends QuicklyWhen dealing with people there is no magic formula. Client: Australian Women’s Weekly. Notice how I left space in the composition for the text and gutter for the opening double-page spread. In the centre you can see some tearsheets from the actual article.
Concentrate on getting the details right and don’t be afraid to take control of the situation. Client: Maxim, Germany.My aim is to get them to relax, or at least to appear relaxed, and the pose and positioning of hands, legs, head and eyes are all important. Renzo Rosso, head of Diesel Jeans, was quite the opposite and proved to be friendly and helpful during the shoot. As an Englishman in Italy, I often play with the language to break the ice and I’ll sometimes explain to them the choices I’m making to involve them as much as possible.Some celebrities or business leaders can be a little intimidating and give you little time to work. I need them to trust me and to invest something in the shoot too.
I’ll usually be somewhere between 35mm and 50mm on full-frame.Notice how I’m creating a frame for the subject within each setting.Left – a petrol attendant in Italy. Most of my environmental portraits are made with a Nikon D800 and a 24-70mm lens. You should be familiar enough with your equipment that you can work it on auto-pilot while concentrating on the subject.I shoot portraits with a variety of cameras, from medium format film (Bronica SQA) to a small Fuji X-Pro2. Use your Equipment Quickly.The best way to make a bad impression is to be flustering around with the settings on your camera during the shoot. They will be more relaxed and have more trust in you if they can see you know what you’re doing.And while on that subject.
Again, I need to pre-visualise the effect of lighting when setting my scene. These let me create pretty much any light I like or enhance the available light. It’s not always there of course so I always arrive for a shoot with a couple of large flash units and modifiers.
For this shot I decided to make my lighting part of the actual scene as a reference to the film projections. These are the organisers of the Lago Film Fest where short films are screened on the banks of a Lake in the north of Italy. Once I’ve sorted that out then I’ll deal with the rest of the scene. I’ll usually concentrate first on the subjects lighting, especially the angle and quality of light that is falling on their face.
Just as important, however, is that working with a tripod adds a sense of calm and formality to the whole process, also influencing the subject and they way they present themselves to the camera. This set-up lets me take precise control over the composition and gives me the stability I need. I’m using a Manfrotto 055 carbon-fibre tripod fitted with a Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared head.
And I mean painters as well as photographers. In SummaryIf you’re interested in environmental portraiture, my suggestion is to study some of the old masters. In this case a single, large soft-box to the right was enough to provide a beautiful light for both subject and setting. The stone collector, Luigi Lineri, shot for Art magazine, Germany.
Colin Dutton Other articles by authorBorn in London, 1966. You’ll soon find the approach and the style that suits you best. See if you can work out where I placed lighting and whether or not it’s all artificial, all natural or a mixture of the two.Once you’ve absorbed all you can by studying the work of other photographers then just find some interesting people and go do it your way. You will notice that nearly all the subjects are defined within their own space.
Environmental Portraiture Professional Photographer With
Beyond his commercial work, Colin continues to develop his own personal projects for books and exhibitions and he presents talks and workshops on photography. A professional photographer with clients worldwide, he is specialised in interiors, editorial and advertising on-location.
0 kommentar(er)
